Scream if you wanna go faster
by Pink Panda
Summary: A story about Java and the Technos before the city, and what Java lost on her way to power.
1. Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 1  
"Java I've had enough of this" Siva hissed trying to keep her voice down so the other girls gathered in the clearing couldn't hear her  
Taking her arm, Java dragged Siva away from the small group so that they were under the cover of the trees.  
"We've been through this before" Java snapped trying to keep her voice low and sounding slightly exasperated "We get to the city then we split"  
"I've heard it before" Siva hissed at her sounding annoyed "We said it at the beginning 'We'll only do it for a while, till we have enough to survive on'"  
"Look..." Java began pleadingly but Siva didn't want to hear anymore of her excuses  
"No" she said, "We won't get out, Slicks too clever, he never gives quite enough"  
"I don't like wh0ring myself as much as you" Java said trying to pacify her sister but it didn't work, Siva almost chocked in surprise  
"You don't like wh0ring yourself" she repeated in disbelief "You only wh0red yourself to who you wanted, you managed to make yourself an exclusive prostitue" she hissed at Java fighting to keep her voice low, Java started to say something but Siva stopped her and then carried on her tirade "While I was fuuking everyone that came along you were doing the tribe leaders, the people with power"  
"That's not true" Java said reasonably  
"Its perfectly true" Siva hissed "And you know it, it was you fault we got chucked out of the city"  
"Yeh, yeh, fine, so I said a few wrong things, Jax didn't like it, that Jackals got mad, we've heard it before" Java said her temper rising too now.  
"Well you know what I've had it" Siva said, "Me and Azeri, we're leaving"  
"Now?" said Java in surprise  
"Now" Siva said firmly  
"Siva, we're in the middle of a forest," Java hissed waving her arms around.  
"Yeh, and the fact it doesn't look like we're leaving soon is exactly my problem" Siva said before turning away from Java. "Azeri" she snapped calling to a girl with long blood red hair then announcing in general she said to the rest of the group "Goodbye" no one really paid much attention no one in the group really cared for anyone else and Siva's departure had been expected for a while. "Goodbye Java, have a nice life" Siva called sarcastically before leaving the clearing with Azeri.  
Java made an angry noise and stalked back to the group that were sat around the clearing. Several of the girls turned to look at her in interest  
"What're you looking at?" she snapped at them before sitting against a tree. As she sat there quietly fuming she felt hands touch her shoulders and begin to massage them.  
"Now, now my Java" a weasel like voice hissed "You shouldn't get so het up about things" the voice said as the hands moved from her shoulders and began stroking her arms. She shook the hands off her.  
"Get off Slick" she snapped, "I don't have patience for your games" a weasely looking boy with greasy hair moved in front of her.  
"Awwwww, my Java" he said stroking her face "Don't worry about Siva" She slapped away his hand and then pulled him close  
"I said stop it" she said slowly and dangerously "I only work for you, I'm not one of your slu!s, I don't want to sleep with you and if you touch me again I will break your arm" she hissed at him  
Slick backed off "Fine" he said scared  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Vic watched the small group in the clearing, as his troop moved around them to form a ring. The conversations he had just witnessed between Java, Siva and Slick had been very interesting and informative. The girls in the group seemed to be wh0res and Slick their pimp, but that was a bit obvious when you saw what the girls were or weren't wearing. All in all they didn't look too promising but the Technos needed new recruits desperately, maybe there would be someone decent in the group.   
Seeing his troop was in place Vic motioned to them.  
The group in the clearing was quite shocked when over 10 strangers stepped out of the bushes around them enclosing them in a ring. The girls inside the ring jumped up and began shouting and asking questions but Java didn't bother asking questions, they were being threatening, she didn't like what was going on, so she acted.  
Exploding out on the nearest stranger she floored him with a kick and then continuing in the same movement punched the next one in the line. As he too fell to the floor she heard a footstep behind her, spinning into a defensive pose she came face to face with the barrel of a gun. Freezing she looked up the barrel to its owner.  
Java and Vic assessed each other coolly in seconds. Vic saw a beautiful small dark girl with long braids streaked with purple. Her eyes and lips were painted in a myriad of greens and gold's making her look slightly mystical and she was dressed in a tight revealing outfit that somehow remained practical, a tight black leather corset, low cut black trousers and army style boots.  
Java saw a tall handsome boy with dark hair dressed totally in black combat gear, painted on his cheek he had a black 'T' . Locking eyes they both saw a vindictiveness, malipunativeness and lust for power that equaled their own staring back at them. But at that time Vic defiantly had the upper hand, after several seconds he said calmly  
"I wouldn't try anything, this is armed, I don't want to hurt you but I will. Why don't you just relax like your little friends?"  
Without moving the rest of her body Java turned her head so that she could see that indeed after the initial panic at the appearance of the strangers the rest of the prostitutes were now relaxed and talking among themselves or to the strangers.  
"Fine" she said admitting defeat and relaxing the defensive tension from her body as she stepped back. As she walked back to her companions Vic watched with interest he would be keeping an eye on her.  
  
Chapter 2  
When she got back to the group of prostitutes Java grabbed Angel's shoulder. Angel was a short blonde who managed to look very innocent despite being a spoilt brat.  
"What Java?" Angel asked annoyed by Java's presence  
"Go and talk to that boy" Java ordered her indicating one of the strangers standing on his own as most of the rest conferred quietly between themselves "find out what tribe these kids are from and who he is" Java told her indicating to her the boy with the gun who defiantly seemed to be leading the strangers.  
Angel stamped her foot not wanting to go   
"Why me?" she asked sulkily "And why him?" but she kept her protests to a minimum, everyone knew what happened when Java got annoyed.  
Sighing Java told her  
"Because a. you look innocent, b. he looks lonely and c. he looks like his trousers are about to explode. Now get going," she told her a hint of impatience creeping into her voice to really get Angel scared. And Angel went; she knew there was no point arguing with Java when she put on that tone of voice.  
As Angel talked to the boy innocently twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger Java assessed the strangers surrounding her. They were a mixture of boys and girls dressed in multicolored clothes with no specific pattern to them. Now she was looking she could see they all had the black 'T' marks on them like the boy had, they were obviously a tribal mark. They were painted on faces or hands, or in the case of some of the girls any exposed flesh, though, Java noted with a wry smile, none of their outfits came anywhere near the ensembles the group of prostitutes were wearing and from the stretch on some of the boys trousers this was obvious.  
Soon Angel turned away from the stranger the angelic innocence on her face being replaced by a sulky moody look. Sashaying back over to Java she reported back,  
"They're a tribe called the Technos, that boy is second in command, he's called Vic" she spat out "Enough?" she asked sarcastically  
"Fine" Java told her with the same sarcasm "Nice to know you haven't lost your touch Angel" in reply Angel leered at her and turned away.  
As Angel turned away Java felt a pair of silken hands glide across her shoulders and a voices dripping with poison hiss  
"Having fun Java? Enjoying bossing the others around?"  
Java ignored the raven-haired girl standing behind her knowing this would infuriate her more. And it worked, her temper rising the girl moved around in front of Java  
"You think your so good" she hissed at Java like a snake about to pounce as Java watched her with her arms folded clearly unimpressed "bossing the others around, acting like you're some kind of leader, well you're not"  
Java laughed slightly  
"Right, I'm not because you want to be" she said amused "I couldn't care less Celes, I'm here for me, not any of you slu!s"  
Before Celes had chance to reply she was interrupted by Vic.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Vic was impressed by how Java had managed to manipulate her group she had them wrapped around her little finger.  
"Quiet" he said stepping forward to address the group in front of him, they all turned and looked at him. "As some of you may have worked out we are part of the Technos" as he said this he glanced across to Java who was stood with her arms folded coolly assessing him. "You are free to go on your way but if anyone wishes to join our tribe we will take you back to our base and asses you"  
The little group looked around and then three girls filed out of the clearing leaving Java, Celes and Slick standing there. Turning Vic signaled to his troop and they walked the short distance to the base in silence.  
When they reached their destination the three volunteers found an old army base surrounded with barded wire in a state of disrepair. All signs in the base were roughly painted out in white paint and replaced with the 'T's the Technos wore. Inside the fence the base was spread out over a reasonably large area with grassy spaces separating the buildings, some of the grassy spaces were roughly cut while some were just growing wild. Just visible behind the back end of the complex was a he lake.  
Vic led the three to a large building, he noticed while the others looked around in wonder at the civilsation in the complex, which was much cleaner and organized than the cities, Java looked uninpressed, as Vic had expected her too. Leaving them in a room just inside the doorway Vic went to find Ram knowing he would be somewhere in the central building.  
He found Ram in the main computor hall. He was sat at a computor working on a program with Opal sat next to him. Currently the dark haired girl more commanly known amoung the Technos as 'Rams slu!' was running her finger up and down Rams arm. She was wearing an outfit to rival some of the prostitues he had just seen, to go with her Eygption make up she had on what could only be described as a gold bra and a knee length black skirt decorated in gold which had a slit most of the way up it. Of course it wasnt just her dress sense that earned her the prestigious title, that came from her relationship with Ram. Ram was fequently angry and annoyed and when he was he used her to relieve his tensions, the rest of the time her tried to ignore her knowing he just had to say and he would come running back.  
Hearing Vic's footsteps Ram swung around in his chair whilst Opal glared at someone she considered a rival for Rams attention.  
"What?" asked Ram slightly impatiently  
"We've got some new recruits" Vic told him relaxed despite the dangerous edge to Ram's voice, he knew how to deal with Ram, one day he planned not to have to, but for now Ram was a nessecary leader of the tribe.  
"Where'd you find them?" Ram asked him suspiciously  
"With a load of wh0res in the woods" Vic told him, allowing himself a knowing grin seeing the glint in Rams eyes as he said it, it was just too easy.  
"Slu!s" Opal muttered sulkily  
"If you have a problem leave" Ram snapped at her and she did. With a final glare at Vic she stalked out of the room.  
"Lead me to 'em" Ram said with a certain amount of glee. 


	2. chapter 3 sorry i forgot to load the fir...

Chapter 3  
Sitting in a small room with few computers Ram and Vic called in the three volunteers individually asking them to program one of the computers and talking to them.  
They were both unimpressed by Slick; he couldn't program the computer and came across to them as some lower form of slime. Celes came off slightly better, she could program the computer after a few minutes and they decided she lacked any serious long term ambition but she would make a good worker in the lower levels of the tribe.   
As usual it was Java who caused the most interest. She had programmed the computer as fast as she could type and through out the entire assessment had remained cool and unfazed. Vic noted after a minute she seemed to understand Ram and began flirting very subtly with him. Ram had that look in his eye he got when he saw a girl he wanted, and from what Vic had seen of her Java would not hesitate in the slightest to use this fully to her advantage, he was defiantly going to watch her carefully, very carefully, and he would watch his back for her too.  
So Slick was escorted away from the Techno complex but before he went he couldn't resist trying to persuade Java to go with him. She had been his most successful girl, he could do with her in his brothel, he might be slime but he knew which side his bread was buttered.  
"Surely you don't want to stay here" he said cajoling her "Its the middle of nowhere, no shops, no people, nothing"  
"I'll be ok" Java told him mildly amused by his futile attempts to get her back, like the last struggles of a fish trapped in a dried out pond.  
"But-but, think of all you owe me," he said desperately reaching for reasons "I took you and Siva in, I fed you, I clothed you..."  
"And you sold our bodies" Java said finishing his sentence "Don't we owe you so much" she said sarcastically  
"Java" Slick said appealing to her desperately as two Technos appeared and began to guide him away.  
"Bye Slick" Java shouted at his retreating back "I've hated knowing you" Good riddance to bad rubbish Java thought as he disappeared around a corner.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Later that night as Java was settling into her new room someone knocked at the door, opening it revealed her new leader.  
"Everything ok?" Ram asked smiling at her  
"Fine" said Java opening the door for him. She hadn't expected this, she knew he wanted her but he was moving faster than she had anticipated. Ram sauntered in and walked around Java.  
"Lovely quarters" he whispered into her ear as Java let go of the door and he rested his hands on the bare flesh of her hips that was revealed between her top and trousers. Turning around to face him Java pushed his hands away from her and stepped away from him slightly.  
"What did you want to talk about?" she asked coolly. It seemed Ram was not deterred easily. Stepping closer to her he said  
"I want you" and kissed her neck "And I wasn't planning on talking"  
"I don't think so," Java said coldly pushing him away from her. He looked up shocked, as if he wasn't used to being told 'no'.  
"You don't want me?" he said in surprise as if it was automatically assumed that every girl he wanted wanted him back.  
"Yeh, I have standards, I'm not a slu!" Java told him opening the door. Ram walked out in silence, Java closed the door behind him and allowed herself a little smile, the good old treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen, worked every time.  
Ram stalked down the corridor, he was furious, how dare she? he was her leader, she should be glad of the opportunity to please him. Going past his own room he flung open Opal's door. She was sat at a dressing table and turned to look at him. Without a word Ram stalked over to her, pulled her off her chair and pressed her against the nearest wall where he began kissing her. Unlike most other girls Opal didn't complain or resist at such rough treatment, she loved it because she knew when Ram got what he wanted she would get what she wanted.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Slightly later that night, further down the hallway, Vic was sat in his room alone reading through a file on his computer. Hearing his door being opened he closed the file and swung to see who it was. Kiki, a Techno he had worked with, stood in the doorway.  
"All alone?" she asked mock pityingly as she walked in, Vic stood up to meet her, she was younger than him but still tall, not much smaller than him. From the outfit she was wearing and the gleam in her eyes he could guess why she was there. He had been bored lately; maybe it was time to liven things up.  
"Yeh" said Vic as she walked up close to him "I'm all alone"  
"Well what can we do about that?" Kiki asked in a whisper as her hands snaked around his neck. He bent down and kissed her allowing his hands to stray around the back of her top. This was gonna be fun.  
~~~~~~~~~  
In the morning Java was sent to work in one of the defense teams. The Technos were divided into teams that worked on different things, four in a team plus a team leader. The team Java was assigned to be in worked on the development of new weapons. Java was impressed by the organization within the Technos, they worked on so many different projects it seemed they weren't planning on spending their lives in the Techno base, just as Java wasn't planning to spend her life as a lowly worker.  
The team she was assigned to consisted of Jenai a very shy quiet girl who was expert on the scientific realities of making a weapon, Tempy a tall dark boy who dealt with the practical manufacture of weapons, he was very stubborn but lacked the subtly to get power and Sky a quiet stubborn girl with no great wish for promotion. Java considered none of these a particular threat in her campagain for power, they lacked either the drive or the intuition. However the team leader, Becka, was a threat; she was manipulative and sly but unfortunately for her Java was better at it.  
Java set about undermining Becka's leadership immediatly and setting herself up in her place. She didn't care how she did it, stealing ideas, putting Becka down and blaming things on her, she did them all in her campagain to take the first step up to power. For example one morning they were stood around their workroom, they had a laser but because of its strange shape couldn't work out how to get it out of a holster quickly .  
"This is no good," Tempy said in frustration after the third attempt at getting the laser out of the holster failed.  
"This obviously isn't gonna work Java said looking pointedly at Becka whose idea it had been.  
"Got a better idea?" asked Becka sarcastically from where she was sat, she was getting tired of Java's constant attack on her leadership  
"Yeh actually" Java said walking from the doorway she had been leaning in and taking the laser from Tempy.  
"What if" she said demonstrating on her own wrist "We attached it to our wrists?"  
Tempy, Sky and Jenai walked over and began to examine the idea skeptically  
"It might work" Jenai conceded "But it would need a different type of trigger" Signaling Tempy Jenai walked over to the worktable where soon a heated discussion about designs and triggers was underway. Java went with them and served as a reference point for ideas and questions, as a team leader should. Becka was left over the other side of the room obviously hoping her team would come to her for advice and prove that she was still their team leader, unfortunately nothing of the sort happened, eventually she was forced to saunter over casually and try to get her team to talk to her again, unsuccessfully. 


	3. chapter 4

Chapter 4  
After about a month of this campagain the higher levels of the tribe noticed the power balance in the team had shifted and having no qualms about hurting Becka's feelings they promoted Java in her place. After several months exemplary leadership of the team, in which time Becka moved teams, Java was promoted to be in charge of defense. There was only one step higher that was to be one of the three.  
The Technos leader was Ram, he founded the tribe and ultimately ruled it. But it was so large and Ram in some ways so impractical that he needed several people to help him, these ranked almost equal to him but not quite. While Ram dealt with the computers and technical things Vic and Star, who were the almost equals to Ram, looked after supplies and other practical demands. About five weeks after Java was put in charge of defense Star left the tribe suddenly among rumors of sordid affairs with both Vic and Ram and fights with Opal and Kiki. The actual story was a lot less dramatic and went something like this:  
When Star was promoted to work beside Vic she developed feelings for him. The tall handsome boy intrigued her and his cold ways, it was the pull of the bad boy, the one she shouldn't touch because she knew she would get burnt. Ram noticed this with some jelousy, he was the one who was interested in girls, not Vic, and she should feel for him. Plus she was one of the girls, like Java who had turned down his advances. Things remained pretty stable however, Vic did not want Star, Star did not want Ram, nothing much happened.   
Then, one day Star went into Rams room and found Vic pressing Kiki against a wall kissing her. Up till then she had been able to cope with Vic and Kiki, they had been distant and shown no signs of deep affection but this was rubbing it her face.  
She turned and left the room quietly, but not so quietly that Vic did not hear her. He turned away from Kiki  
"What was that?" he asked  
"Who cares?" Kiki giggled trying to turn his head back towards hers but Vic was not put off  
"It might have been something important," he said pulling away from Kiki and straightening his clothes slightly, he was bored anyway.  
He opened the door; Star was stood outside leaning against the wall seeing him she turned away clutching the files she had come to give him and walked off up the corridor.  
"Have you got those files?" asked Vic catching up with her and catching hold of her arm.   
Satr gave them to him and stalked off.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She made her way to Rams room, her chest felt heavy, like she had finally accepted she couldn't have Vic, and even if she did he wouldn't really care.  
"Star" Ram said standing up when she walked into the room, Star didn't say anything, she was afraid of what she might say if she did, instead she walked up to him and kissed him. Ram was slightly shocked but didn't ask questions, just kissed her back and walked slowly towards his bed with her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next morning Star didn't ask questions or stop to talk, she just left Rams room quietly knowing what she had done in a moments brief pain had changed everything about her world.  
When she finally emerged that morning and made her way to the control room Vic was just the sameas always, Ram hadn't told him  
"Have you got those reports?" he asked her. She just shook her head mutely sliding into an empty computer; she could feel Rams eyes watching her from the other side of the room. She tried to concentrate on her work but couldn't, she could feel those eyes watching her, following her, her, one of his conquests.  
"I'm gonna work in my room" she muttered to Vic and then left.  
Sitting in her room she still could not work, the thoughts of what she had done, of the implications that might follow and the look on Vic's face when he found out was too much. Instead of working she paced around her room worrying. It was about half an hour after she left the control centre that a tentative knock came on her door. She opened it a crack, almost fearfully, but there stood one of the two people she didn't want to see.  
She opened the door slowly to let Ram in. Once in with the door was closed he bent down to try to kiss her but she pushed him away.  
"No" she told him  
"No?" he said his eyes bulging "No? You sleep with me one day and then won't let me near you the next?"  
"I'm not one of your pathetic conquests Ram" she snapped, "It was a mistake, I was upset"  
He stepped away furry building in his eyes.  
"You were never just one of my conquests" he said, "I want you to be more permanent"  
"Like a girlfriend" she said laughing slightly "You could never do that Ram, you don't do faithful"  
"So what was I for you then, a plaything to hurt?" Ram demanded, Star had never seen him so moved over a girl, it scared her slightly, she could say one thing and she would be the Techno leaders girl, a proper girl, not a slu! like Opal. But it would never work, he could never be faithful and she did not want him.  
"I'm sorry," she said lowering her head in shame "It was a mistake"  
"Bi!ch" Ram hissed suddenly slapping her face with his hand. As Star looked up at him in shock her hand held up to her face Vic opened the door.  
"What the Hel!?" he said assessing the situation in a second, however you looked at it was not good. "What do you think your doing Ram?" he demanded angrily as Stars eyes filled with tears  
"Ask your little lover here that" Ram said angrily before stalking out of the room. Star sank onto the bed tears falling out of her eyes  
"What the hel!'s been going on?" Vic demanded mercilessly  
"Get out" Star hissed not wanting him to be there "Get out"  
"Did you sleep with Ram?" Vic asked continuing on his quest for answers  
"Get out" Star screeched at him infuriated by his question, Vic left and Star curled up sobbing on her bed, in 12 hours she had ruined her life in this tribe.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Vic followed Ram down the corridor grabbing his arm when he would not stop for him.  
"What the hel!'s bin going on?" he demanded angrilary  
"She was upset. She slept with me. I wanted more. She didn't. End of story" Ram said turning to Vic with angry pain filled eyes. "The one girl I would have actually stayed with and she wanted you," he told Vic stabbing at him with an accusing finger.  
"It's not my fault" Vic protested  
"No, its never your fault, its just us mere mortals who mess up" Ram snapped at him  
When Vic had gone, for once, Ram didn't go to Opal, he didn't want her, he didn't want anything, the perfect three, it was ruined, beyond repair.  
Star also accepted that, she left a day later knowing she could not stay, there was too much pain and mess for them to ever work together professionally again, their three was over and she knew it was time to run from her mess before it got worse and start again somewhere else, somewhere where people acted like humans, not the uncaring world of Vic and the Technos. 


	4. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
So with Star gone from the three Java was in line for a promotion, unfortunatly so was Kiki. Through the rumors in the tribe Java learnt that she and Kiki were the two main contenders. She had also learnt that Kiki could be loosley described as Vics girl, though he didnt seem to want adeep and meaningful relationship with her, only to sleep with her. But however casual it was Java saw Kiki as a threat, any connection whatsoever made her a threat, so Java set out to get rid of Kiki.  
One evening as she was returning to her room with several of the people who worked under her she set her plan in motion.  
As she opened her door she tuned away and called  
"Tempy" as if she were about to say something but in reality she was avioding the laser shot from the zapper she had set up to fire when the door was opened. As the shot flew past her she flung herself against the wall beside her door her face in shock and watched as the others along the hallway did the same.  
"Someone's in my room" she shouted down the corridor making sure she sounded shocked. Hearing her several Technos ran up the corridor and flattened themselves against the wall on both sides of the doorway. Java turned to Sky, who was standing next to her and said "They shot at me when I opened the door. If I hadn't tried to talk to Tempy..." she let her voice trail off for effect. They seemed to be buying it hook, line and sinker. Tempy put his arm around the other side of the door frame and emptied his gun into the room. A silence followed the sudden sound, Java was the first to poke her head cautiously around the door frame.  
"Theres no one there!" she said in faked suprise and relief.  
Walking in followed by the other Technos she pretended to spot the rough arrangement of strings which were strung across her room and connected to the zapper. Pointing them out to the others Java sat on the bed as if in shock whilst they crowded around the strings examining them. Suddenly one of the Technos held up the long hair belonging to Kiki which Java had planted in the mechanism, she had to struggle to keep her face shocked, they couldn't make it easier could they?  
"But who?" she said staring round wide eyed "Who would want to kill me?"  
"Kiki!" Sky suddenly said   
The rest of the Technos burst into conversation, of course, it made sense, Kiki wanted the job on the council, she was one of the only members of the tribe with long dark hair, it all fitted. There was a general movement to the command center, Java was carried with the crowd, it was all going better than she ever expected.  
When they reached the command center Kiki was working at a computer, Java's crowd hauled her out of her chiar and turned the very shocked and confused girl to face Java. Java played her part to the full  
"You bi!ch" she screamed at Kiki, beginning to cry for effect "Why?" she screamed at the bemused looking girl  
"What?" Kiki asked puzzled and scared by the large crowd and Java's loud acusations which she didnt know anything about  
"You tried to kill me!" Java yelled at her, the last part of her scentence echoing sharply through a thick silence that descended as Ram walked up to the two girls.  
"What is going on?" he asked pointedly looking from the shocked Kiki to the tearful Java.  
Sky piped up from behind Java  
"Kiki tried to kill Java!"  
"Is this true?" Ram demanded to Kiki  
"No" she sounding shocked "I would never...I mean"  
"You did it" Java yelled at her "All of these saw your little trap" Shouts of agreement came from the crowd behind her. Some held out the hair they had found to Ram explaining where they had found it.  
"Is this yours" he demanded to the scared girl. Kiki shrank back from him  
"It could be" she conceeded stammering slightly  
Ram stepped back out of the crowd and beckonned to Vic  
"What do you think?" He asked quielty "She's your girl"  
"I think she did it" Vic said sadly  
"Expulsion?" asked Ram   
"Yeh" said Vic heavily, as if it hurt him. If Java could act then so could he.  
Ram stepped forward and the crowd of Technos fell silent.  
"For the attempt on the life of Java, a fellow Techno" he declared "Kiki will be expelled from the Technos"  
As a general agreement and approval proke out Kiki rushed towards Vic  
"Vic, Vic, I didn't do it, you gotta believe me!" she begged him her eyes filled with panic  
"How could you?" Vic asked putting on a sad voice "I knew you wanted that place but..." his voice trailed off sadly  
"I didnt do it" she sobbed as the Technos grabbed hold of her and began to lead her away. As she reached the door she grabbed hold of it and yelled "Java, you bi!ch, you set me up"  
Java didnt try to deny it, just stayed slient as Kiki was dragged off  
"I think I'll go to my room" she said making herslf sound slightly shell-shocked, there was a general chorus of sympathy as she left.  
As Java walked back don the corridors to her room she heard someone following her, turning she saw Vic. When he saw he had her attention he began to clap  
"That deserved an oscar" he siad approvingly  
"Pardon!?" said Java, for once speechless  
"Brilliant" said Vic approvingly "The set up, the acting - but the tears may have overdone it slightly"  
"You knew?" Java demanded, she thought everyone had been fooled.  
"My thanks" Vic said "She was getting boring, and don't worry, I wont tell" Java stood speechless, it seemed there might actually be someone as cold and manipulative as her. Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen but she didnt think it was. 


	5. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
After Kiki's dramatic departure the rumers around the base were that Java was guaranteed the position, so it was no real surprise when Vic turned up at her door the next day grinning at her.   
"Java! You got the post!" he said sarcastically injecting enthusiasm into his voice "Isn't that a surprise" he said smirking at her  
"Gosh, I am surprised" Java said matching his sarcasm with her own. Vic let out a slight laugh  
"You're good," he said to her  
"I'm glad you think so" Java replied as she walked up to him and stood so she was looking up at him "So, now I'm one of the three are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked challenging him slightly  
"What's going on?" Vic repeated, all innocence  
"The big plan, the scheme, whatever you want to call it, I know you and Ram have something planned for this tribe and I want to know what it is" Java said to him  
"I don't know what you mean," Vic said still feigning innocence, enjoying teasing Java  
"Oh purlease" Java said rolling her eyes at him. Vic cracked under Java's stare  
"Ok, ok" he said as Java grinned and looked smug "So maybe we plan to rule a city, or two"  
"Now that," said Java "sounds interesting"  
Vic grinned at her; he was really beginning to like this girl.  
And that was when the unusual private relationship between Java and Vic was born, they wouldn't have called it a friendship, they didn't have friends, but really it was. It was the last grasp at friendship between two people so far gone in lust for power that they were almost immune to human feelings, almost, not quite.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Java also had a visit that night from Ram. Much later when she was halfway through removing her war paint, he didn't bother knocking, just opened her door and walked in, as if he hoped to find her in a compromising situation. However Java remained unfazed, standing to face him without showing surprise at his sudden entrance, if he wanted to play games she would too.  
"Vic told you the news then?" asked Ram as he approached her  
"Yeh" said Java sweetly "I was sooooo surprised" she said feigning innocence  
"I'm sure you were shocked" Ram said watching her like a tiger about to pounce "Such a pity Kiki was pulled out of the running" he continued giving her a look that made her wonder how much he knew or suspected about her departure, he wasn't stupid, just easy to manipulate.  
"It was shock," Java said continuing her wide-eyed innocence  
Ram let out a slight chuckle stepping closer to her  
"Your not innocent" her said reaching out to stroke her long braids which had been let down and were hanging around her face "Anything but" Java removed his hand from her braids gently but firmly  
"Are you implying something?" she asked smiling flirtatiously at him  
"Not at all" Ram whispered stepping closer again and looking down at Java. He bent down slowly and kissed her.  
She let him kiss her for a few seconds but not letting him have the full run of her mouth as he wanted. His hands ran around to the small of her back and pulled her closer to him. When she decided he had had enough she ran her hands around to where his were on her back and interlaced her fingers with his then pulled his hands gently across the contours of her body letting them drop when they were by his side. Then she ran her fingers seductively up his chest and firmly pushed him away from her. He looked down at her pityingly, as if he thought she couldn't resist him, and began to move his hands back towards her.   
Moving like lightening she caught his wrists and applied a slight part of her years of training in the gym onto them. Ram gaped in pain and his eyes snapped to attention, where they had been filled with hazy lust they now watched Java intently.  
"I could break your wrists before you could think about it so don't try anything" she hissed at him her eyes filled with malicious pleasure.  
"Fine" he said pulling his hands away and holding them up to show he wasn't going to try anything. "But if you didn't want to play why'd you kiss me?" he asked hurt by her casual rejection.  
"Fun" grinned Java evilly turning to sit back down at her dresser. Ram was speechless at her casual toyance with his feelings. No girl had ever done that to him before, he had always been superior and in charge. And all it did was make him want her even more. 


	6. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
And so a new three emerged, but it was not a stable three like Star's had been, it was a volatile mix of three headstrong power-hungry people meeting each other head on with a lot of sexual emotions thrown it. It was only a matter of time before things began to spiral out of hand.  
If you really wanted to see this volatile mix show itself you had to be there when the three of them met to make an important decision, which happened about once or twice a week.  
One such meeting happened a month or so after Java was promoted. Ram called Vic and Java to his room.  
Vic was the first to saunter in and lean against a wall casually  
"So what's this about?" he asked  
"Supplies" said Ram rolling his eyes exasperatedly. After a minutes or so wait he snapped impatiently "Where is Java?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
At that precise moment Java was being pinned to the floor by a new recruit. Arching her back she flipped him over and straddled his waist locking his arms so he couldn't move.  
"Good" she said approvingly, releasing him and reaching for a towel hanging nearby. As the recruit got shakily to his feet and staggered about as if he had just been hit by a meter she told him "You're improving, just watch your hand grip" One of his friends appeared to help him to the showers, training sessions with Java were legendary by now, she was the best fighter on the base and known to be a ruthless trainer.  
"Java, Java" called the poor messenger furiously trying to get her attention and persuade her to go to Ram's room, as he had been doing for the last ten minutes.  
"Yes" she snapped throwing her towel at him and stalking off towards Ram's room. The messenger ran after her discarding the towel with some disgust as he went.  
"Ram said to come quickly," he told her looking distinctly worried  
"I can deal with Ram," she told him in a voice that warned him to leave her alone.  
In fact, by the time she reached Ram's room Vic had been there for a good ten minutes.  
"Your royal highness, so nice of you to join us" Ram said sarcastically when she walked into the room. Vic didn't pass comment but watched with some amusement as she pacified Ram.  
She walked around to the spare chair, taking the long route around Ram, trailing a finger along his shoulders as she passed. Just as she was about to sit down she leaned over and whispered in his ear  
"I've been busy, not all of us can mess around with our s!uts all day!"  
As she sat down Ram tried to think of a suitable reply to her challenge, unfortunately he failed.  
"So are we gonna sort this out?" Vi asked after a minute seeing Ram was still trying to think of a way to get one better on Java and Java was watching him with amusement.  
"We need more supplies," Ram said, gratefully taking the opportunity to change the subject  
"Why?" asked Java "I thought we had enough supplies"  
They launched into a long and heated argument about the supplies, managing to drag up old grudges and problems as they went along. Finally Ram had to step between Vic and Java and halt their argument about the relative advantages of manpowered and technological defense.  
"We've had this argument before" he said with frustration "Why don't we just go back to work"  
Meetings always ended like this, two people arguing about something completely different to the original issue.  
Java was the first to turn and stalk out of the room, watched carefully by Ram who followed the sway of her hips and felt the desire within him grow. Then Vic left giving Ram a classic smirk as he did so.  
Ram walked out of his room and yelled   
"Opal!" down the hallway. Her head poked out of a nearby room and she walked down to Ram's room.  
"You wanted me?" she asked once inside.  
"Oh yes, I wanted you" Ram whispered as he stepped forwards and kissed her neck, but when he closed his eyes instead of Opal Java's image danced across his eyelids. And when he felt Opal submit to his rough caresses he wished it were Java's body he was touching.  
This was how it had been since Java was promoted. She drew him in with her beautiful body and attitude. Unlike Star before her Java had let him kiss her on several occasions, but only for 'fun'. Fun, it drove Ram insane, he wanted her body, he wanted her sprit, he wanted to bend her into submission. In fact she was rapidly becoming a slight obsession of his.  
Little did poor Opal know that every time he kissed her he saw Java in her place and every time he saw her body stretched out in submission he wished it were Java's. Opal had no idea, she thought she had finally secured her man; she knew nothing of the dangerous undercurrents that rippled through the three.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Across the other side of the base the girl that filled Ram's thoughts turned as a knock came at her door.  
"Come in" she yelled and turned back to her computer to find it had crashed and the screen was filled with error messages.  
Swearing loudly and swinging violently on her chair she stood up in front of Vic.  
"Files?" he said offering her the small pile of papers in his hand.  
"D@mn the files" she said throwing them on the chair she had just left and then grabbing his face and pulling him down to kiss her hard and fast. A she began to tug at her lover's clothes Vic did the same for her.  
They had been sleeping together for a month or so then, but they weren't in love or even in a relationship. It was pent up lust and passion being released between two equals who knew serious emotions weren't involved. To Vic and Java sex wasn't a matter of love, it was just another tool to manipulate people. 


	7. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
About a month or so later as Java sat at a computer in the main control room she suddenly felt hands glide across her bare shoulders and lips kiss her neck. She immediately know it wasn't Vic, she knew his hands and lips too well for that, and besides, he would never pull a stunt like that in public, there was only one person with the audacity to do that  
"Hello Ram" she said  
"Hi beautiful" he replied as he moved to half sit, half lean on the table in front of her. She rolled her eyes in annoyance at his greeting.  
"Do you have to?" she asked  
"Just showing my affections," he told her lightly knowing the entire room was listening to their conversation, just some more discreetly than others.  
"They're not wanted" Java told him turning back to work at her computer in the hopes that he might leave.  
"What would it take for them to be wanted?" Ram asked half teasing but half serious  
"I've told you before" Java said "Show me I'm not a one night stand or a s!ut like Opal and maybe, maybe"  
Ram left sighing, he had got the same cryptic answer form her before. He didn't know what she wanted or expected from him but he did know that if he ever did get hold of her body or mind he would not let go quickly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Over the other side of the command centre, unseen by the two powerful members of the tribe a girl watched them with eyes filled with pain. She hadn't been able to hear what they said but she had seen Ram kiss Java's neck, that itself was enough.  
She couldn't believe how stupid and gullible she had been, she should have seen it, realized. She had always though one day Ram would acknowledge the fact that she was the only girl that had ever truly loved him, and she thought that day had finally come, little had she known she was always just the distraction, the girl he could rely on for free sex. How stupid could she have been, he never wanted her, he was always lusting after some other wh0re.  
In one moment, one tiny moment her heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces that dug into her chest making it difficult to breathe. Her hope was finally shattered and left lying around her, she would never have Ram, never, he didn't want her, never really had. And suddenly al her rage and pain focused on one person, she wanted her to feel a fraction of the pain and rage that she felt then.   
She knew exactly who the wh0re that Ram wanted was, Java, queen bi!chiness of the Techno's. She had hated her before, but that was nothing compared to what she felt before, she was going to pay, whatever it took she was going to pay.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Java turned her head as the egyption looking girl came towards her.  
"Hello Java" Opal hissed in a tone dripping with dislike.  
"Opal" replied Java non-committedly deciding to ignore Opal's voice and turning back to her computer.  
"Having fun" asked Opal in a tone only slightly nicer than before.  
"Bags" said Java who was still paying very little attention to the girl.  
"You must have [I]such[/I] hard work" Opal said sarcastically, with enough malice to make Java turn and look at her.  
"What is your problem?" Java asked. She really couldn't be bothered to deal with one of Opal's moods at the time.  
"I don't know, maybe you might know" Opal said snidely folding her arms across her chest.  
"Well, whatever problems you dream up in that little deluded mind of yours, don't include me in them, please" Java told her sneering slightly and getting up to leave.  
"I haven't finished with you" Opal said catching hold of Java's arm. Spinning Java slapped away Opal's hand and hit her face causing the girl to stagger backwards.  
Suddenly everyone in the room was concentrated on the two girls. They were oblivious to the eyes that watched them, their argument had suddenly become a matter of pride and neither was going to back down lightly.  
"Bi!ch" Opal hissed at Java her eyes glaring at Java from under the hand which was covering the cheek Java had hit.  
"You started it, you take to consequences" Java told her off hand "Now, what is your problem?" she asked again her voice rising and echoing loudly around the silent room.  
"My problem is you and your slu!ty ways" Opal hissed at Java her brown eyes still filled with hate.  
"[I]My[/I] slu!ty ways!" repeated Java in disbelief  
"Oh, I'm sorry, does having it off with my man not count as slu!ty to you?" Opal said mock cheerfully. The onlookers closest to the two girls leaned back slightly in anticipation of Java's reaction to the accusation that was echoing around the room.  
Java let out a short cold laugh. Opal stared at her as if she had three heads.  
"So this is what this is all about" Java said casually "Well, let me tell you, it's Ram, not me you should be throwing your little temper tantrum at, he's the one coming onto me all the time, I turn him down" she told Opal heartlessly "If you can't keep 'your man', keep him on a leash, but, wait" she said a malicious smirk appearing on her face, unable to resist a final snipe at Opal "Don't you already do that in your little kinky games?"  
As she turned contemptusly on her heel Opals mouth dropped and contorted into a hideous form of hate  
"Bi!ch" she screamed launching herself at Java in a vicious attack fully intending to hurt her and make her pay for every little thing she ever done to her. Just as the onlookers thought that Opal might actually reach Java and cause some kind of injury Java spun and demonstrated her lightning quick reflexes, catching Opal's hands less than an inch away from her body. With a twist of her wrists Java pushed Opals hands away from her body and then with a vicious kick Java sent Opal sprawling across the floor.  
As she skidded along on the tiles the onlookers moved out of her way but non-broke ranks to help her. She lay still on the floor for a minute, long enough for the crowd to begin to look at each other and to begin almost inaudible mutters about her being seriously injured or even dead.  
Finally she turned her head away from the floor and everyone saw the blood that was rushing from her nose.  
"That was stupid, very stupid," Java hissed at her dangerously before spinning away again flicking her braids. Opal looked as if she were about to say something, a parting remark or jibe but, wisely, she thought better of it.  
In the silence that followed Java's departure Opal felt all the eyes in the room on her. Putting her hand under her nose in an effort to control the blood she got up trying to preserve what was left of the shreds of her dignity.  
As soon as she was out of the door the silence erupted into silent talking, this story would be around the base in an hour, the Technos queen had shown Opal! 


	8. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
Opal had been sat on the bed for at least an hour, she wanted to know where he was, she was getting impatient and very, very angry. As she had sat there everything had gone around in her head, every time she had seen him with someone else, the fight with Java, her tattered pride and her broken heart, all spinning around in her head, festering to become more and more rage filled and all her ahtred and pain was focusing on Ram.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ram had had a pretty bad day, everyone had been whispering about him, he had heard them and seen the looks they gave him. The thing that annoyed him was that he couldn't work out exactly what they were whispering about, usually it was quite obvious but he was determined to find out somehow.  
His room was in darkness when he reached it but when he turned the light on he was amazed to see Opal leaning back on his bed and smiling coyly.  
"Hello Ram" she purred "Had...fun today?" she asked. Something about the way she said 'fun' put him on his guard, something was wrong, he just wasn't sure what.  
"Not really" he replied suspiciously  
"Poor Ram" she said pouting slightly in sympathy "Do you want a massage?"  
"Yeh" said Ram still with an edge of suspicion in his voice. He walked towards he all his nerves on stand by, he was ready to bolt for the door if necessary or if she made any sudden moves. However when he sat down next to her and she began to massage his shoulders he felt his fears melt away.  
"So...spoken to Java today?" Opal whispered into his ear as she massaged him.  
"Yeah" he moaned as his head fell forwards so she could access his neck  
"Did she say anything interesting?" Opal asked  
"Not really" Ram replied the edge of suspicion returning to his voice as he pulled away from Opal and tuned to regard her suspiciously "Why are you interested anyway?" he asked unable to follow her unprovoked line of questioning.  
"It looked like you were interested" Opal spat out jealously hatred and bile rising in her voice  
"Wha?" said Ram in puzzlement unable to follow the sudden u-turn in the conversation  
"Oh, I'm sorry, is kissing someone's neck a casual greeting for you?" Opal yelled standing up anger and pain radiating off her  
"Oh..." was all Ram could say suddenly understanding  
"Yes 'oh'" screamed Opal "I loved you, I stood up for you, I would have jumped off a cliff for you" Tears were rolling down her cheeks, the tears that had been threatening all day. She sank to her knees sobbing "Why, Why? I would have [I]married[/I] you," she told him in a voice that was little more than a whisper but seemed to tear at his heart.  
Ram watched her rocking herself in grief, sobs racking her body, the tears making a path down her face and for the first time in a long time her felt somekind of emotion towards Opal. Suddenly she reminded him of the way he had felt after Star.  
He dropped to the floor unsure of what to do with his newfound emotions. Tentitivly he stretched out a hand towards Opals shoulder to comfort her. As he touched her she flinched knocking away his hand like it would burn her  
"Get away" she screamed through her tears. The words 'I'm sorry' lodged in Rams throat, words he would have said but was never given a chance, where they lodged he felt a strange lump build in his throat.  
She got up as if to escape from him  
"I would have married you" she yelled at him through her tears "But you didn't want me, you didn't want me" she sobbed accusingly as she ran out of the room leaving Ram alone on the floor a strange heavy feeling in his chest.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Java was reading a report when she heard her door open  
"Hey handsome" she called  
"Hi beautiful" Vic replied as he crawled over her bed to kneel behind her" I heard you were a bad girl today" he whispered as he nibbled her ear in greeting  
"Which occasion are you referring to?" Java asked continuing to read the report  
"Opal" Vic whispered letting his lips tickle her ear as he did.  
"She started it" Java said defensivly but with little intrest. Closing the report with a snap she got up to put it on her desk. As she bent over one of her drawers Vic came over and began kissing her shoulders "Someone's horny tonight" she commented  
"You are too," he whispered running his hands under the belt of her trousers, just enough to tempt her "You just hide it better"  
"So you had a boring day?" asked Java tuning and running a hand up Vic's chest  
"Yeh, except for hearing about 'The Queen of the Technos' beating up Opal" said Vic running his fingers over her back  
"Queen of the Technos? I like it" Java said approvingly walking back over to her bed and sitting back down followed by Vic.  
"Mhmmm, it has a certain commanding ring to it doesn't it?" Vic muttered running his fingers in patterns over her hands and arms knowing she would be unable to resist for much longer.  
"Now all I need is a king of the Technos" Java said shifting so she was kneeling astride Vic's lap  
"Wonder who might fill the post" Vic said with said with a smile as Java bent down to kiss his neck.  
"Mhhmmmmmm" was Java s only reply as he ran his hands through her long braids releasing them from the tight style that had been imposed on them during the day.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ram lay back on his bed replaying the conversation with Opal in his mind; suddenly an idea struck him, a wonderful idea.  
With a grin plastered across his face he got up and left his room deciding to execute his plan immediately. 


	9. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Java threw her head back giggling slightly as Vic kissed her bare stomach, gasping slightly as he found a particularly sensitive spot. Suddenly a knock and an enquiring voice came from outside the room,  
  
"Java?"  
  
They both froze.  
  
"Java?" came the voice again persistently "Are you awake? It's Ram"  
  
Java swore under her breath then putting on a slow sluggish voice, as if she had just woken up she called  
  
"Wha?.hang on"  
  
She signaled Vic to go to her wardrobe, although he knew there as nothing else for it he still shot her a pleading glance just to check there wasn't somewhere better for him to hide but she shook her head and grinned wickedly.  
  
When Vic had padded over to the wardrobe and enclosed himself between Java's numerous revealing black out fits and Java had recovered her top from somewhere she signaled him to close the doors of the cupboard. When he had closed the doors of the cupboard Vic felt very enclosed, he was squashed between the two sides of the cupboard and Java's various outfits, the one that was pressing into his face was a very little back dress which he didn't think would leave much to the imagination. Through the slight crack in the doors he could hear the conversation Ram and Java were having.  
  
Java's voice came through first, slightly sluggishly; she was obviously still keeping up the act that Ram had just woken her  
  
"What Ram?" she asked impatiently "Do you know how late it is? This had better be important"  
  
"It is" Ram answered confidently  
  
"Well..." demanded Java  
  
"I've been thinking about what you said" Ram began  
  
"What I said?" interrupted Java  
  
"About you wanting me to show you some kind of commitment before I could have you" Ram told her  
  
"Right..." Java said and Vic could imagine the way her eyes were watching Ram suspiciously trying to second-guess where he was going with this  
  
"I want you to marry me" Ram said as if it were the most casual thing in the world  
  
Vic saw Java's jaw hit the floor even through the door  
  
"What?????" she said her voice shocked  
  
"Marry me" Ram repeated again confidently, "It's the perfect solution, you want what you want, and I get what I want...." Even through the wooden door Vic saw Rams eyes scan Java's body up and down  
  
"You'll have to let me think about it" Java said regaining the control to her voice  
  
"Fine, but don't take too long" said Ram. Vic heard footsteps and then the door closing, after a few seconds Java called  
  
"You can come out now"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Java was stood by the door thinking when Vic came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her  
  
"Outmaneuvered?" he asked a slight edge of amusement entering his voice  
  
"Never" came Java's confident reply "I just wasn't expecting that" Vic laughed slightly  
  
"Java, surprised, now there's something I thought I'd never see. Though come to think of it I'm surprised too, I didn't think you were actually serious about him" Vic said as Java turned and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Jealous?" asked Java teasingly knowing Vic saw right through her little schemes, he was possibly the only person who did "Why should I be jealous of some freak you're marrying for his power?" Vic asked her deciding to play along with her game  
  
"Firstly, I never said I was going to marry him, and secondly aren't I just sleeping with you for your power?" Java replied grinning at him  
  
"Don't tell me you're gonna turn him down?" Vic said mock surprised "I wouldn't get to go the wedding!"  
  
"I never said anything about my answer" Java told him "You'll just have to wait, like everyone else" despite what she said, she knew that Vic had already guessed what her answer would be, and he would be right about it as usual.  
  
"Ok" said Vic "And, by the way, you know you sleep with me for my amazing sexual prowess" He drawled  
  
"Whatever" said Java rolling her eyes but reaching to tickle him at the same time. 


	10. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
"Java" yelled Ram down the corridor as he chased after the dark beauty. "Java..." he began when he finally reached her but she interrupted him before he could continue.  
  
"Yes" she said simply and calmly giving him the answer he had been pining after for three days. Little did he know that she had made her decision seconds after he had proposed, but there was no need to look desperate, she had played hard to get so far, there was no need to go ruining all her hard work by answering too soon. But she knew her little game was over, if she had turned Ram down her time in the Technos would have been over, Java knew this, she knew all the rules to playing hard to get, she could have written most of them herself.  
  
His face suddenly lit up  
  
"Yes?" he said his voice exploding with joy  
  
"That's what I said wasn't it?" Java said coolly, unaffected by his sudden childlike joy apart from a strong urge to laugh at him  
  
He stuttered slightly unsure of what to say next and then deciding words weren't the best thing to explain his joy in he pulled Java to him and kissed her lustfully. This time Java let him have the run of her mouth, letting him dictate the terms of the kiss and giving him a slight taste of what he would get on his wedding night. When he released her she stepped backwards and watched him. He seemed to want to bound for joy like a little boy and her face cracked into a cold smile of amusement at the pleasure she had given him.  
  
"C'mon, lets go tell everyone" he said as he turned and walked off, a spring in his step followed by a triumphant Java.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the announcement system began to crackle all the members of the Techno tribe turned suddenly to watch their nearest speaker. The system was very rarely used, only when there was important news to get to the whole tribe quickly and it was very rarely good news. This showed in the faces of the tribe many of which were etched with worry and concern but the boundless joy of the announcement that followed displaced those looks.  
  
"This is your leader, Ram" it began "I have some exciting news for you, you are all invited to a wedding, my wedding...mine and Java's"  
  
Shock registered first on the faces of the tribe but that was quickly replaced by emotions varying from approval to mild happiness and in one or two rooms there were a few outbreaks of clapping and one or two cheers, though those were few and far between.  
  
It wasn't that the tribe was particularly happy or excited about the couple but being practical they realized that a wedding meant parties and quite possibly several days off and who was going to complain at that? Most of the tribe liked or at least respected Java, she had seen off Opal and Kiki and working with her many had discovered her skills. However there were very few members of the tribe that were disillusioned enough, except for some of the newer recruits, to imagine the marriage was for love, at least on Java's part, they knew her better than that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the radio room Java turned to Ram with a wry smile  
  
"All we need now is a wedding" she commented  
  
"Leave it all to me" he told her "I'll organize it, you just enjoy it"  
  
She smiled at him then left being careful to sway her hips seductively as she did so and she could feel her gaze following her. Allowing herself a slight smile she knew she had won, big time.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Several weeks later Java walked into her room to find her bed covered in wedding dresses and Ram sat at her computer obviously waiting for her.  
  
"One week to go" he said "And you need a wedding dress" he indicated to the dresses on her bed "A selection for your enjoyment  
  
"Oh goody" Java said with fake excitement. Then, looking closer at the dresses she said accusingly "These are white" as she walked over to the bed and picked up a handful of material disdainfully.  
  
"And..." said Ram failing to see the problem. Java laughed slightly  
  
"White equals purity" she said "And you don't get much further from pure than me" Ram shrugged uncaringly  
  
"These were the only wedding dresses we could find," he told her. Java sighed  
  
"If I must," she said resignedly  
  
"That's the sprit said Ram getting up to leave, but when he reached the door he turned paused and turned back  
  
"I'll send you bridesmaids to show you their dresses and help you pick" he told her before shutting the door  
  
"Bridesmaids?!" said Java loudly but he was already gone  
  
She sat down on the bed sulkily uncaring of the delicate dresses she was sat on and muttered. Ram was really beginning to get on her nerves. Pure? Her? She didn't think so, for gods sake she was having it off with his second in command, not that he knew, but that wasn't the point. He was driving her insane and they weren't even married yet.  
  
A knock sounded on the door interrupting Java's brooding  
  
"Go away" she snapped not caring who it was  
  
"It's your bridesmaids," A voice told her, a hint of evil glee entering it.  
  
"Come in then" Java snapped at whomever it was impatiently not really wanting to know who Ram had sent  
  
The door opened and Java felt her annoyance triple, there stood Becka, Celes and Jenai. "Why has he send you?" she snapped accusingly, she would have preferred complete strangers to Celes and Becka  
  
"Apparently we're the only girls you've had contact with in this tribe, it being male dominated and all that" Becka told her smiling at Java's annoyance  
  
"Oh joy" said Java sulkily "We had better get this over with" she told them "Lets see your dresses"  
  
While the three girls changed in the next room Java laid back on her bed over the wedding dresses trying to compose herself to deal with her bridesmaids. Jenai she could cope with, she was shy and quiet and obviously scared of Java, it was the other two bi!ches she had a problem with  
  
All too soon the three girls returned interrupting Java's peaceful solitude. They were all wearing identical red halter necked dresses that dropped in a beautiful figure hugging material to their ankles. Java grudgingly had to admit to herself that they did look very good all lined up together in the elegant dresses but she wasn't going to let them know that.  
  
"Satisfied now?" she asked snidely "Done your little fashion show?"  
  
"Isn't it your turn now?" asked Celes putting on the same tone as Java  
  
"Fine" sighed Java standing up to inspect the dresses on the bed as her bridesmaids went to get changed again. She discarded the greater part of the pile on the basis that they were a. puffy b. too white c. not her d. not showing enough cleavage and/or leg. After going through them with her criteria for a suitable dress and tossing the rejects onto the floor disdainfully she was left with three candidates. As she tired the first one on her three 'friends' returned and sat behind her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she snapped, "You've had your little display, now go"  
  
"Can't," said Becka with a wicked grin "Ram told us to help you choose your dress"  
  
Java groaned and then turned away trying to ignore the three girls. She discarded the first dress immediately and the second almost as fast. The third however she decided was perfect, it was white, and still a wedding dress, and yet it did not scream purity at you like the others. It was a silver corset with white material at the cleavage and dropping into a skirt beneath it ending in a diagonal split at the front of the dress about her knees, which continued down to her ankles. At the neck it had a collar of white material which connected with the rest of the dress via a thin piece of material towards her right shoulder, it was perfect, just enough skin covered to be modest and yet be very sexy, Java hadn't thought she would find a wedding dress that would suit her but she had, and she loved it.  
  
"You can go now," Java told her three bridesmaids once she had taken off the dress. She was utterly fed up with Becka and Celes, they had made nasty snide remarks all the time and she was verging on violence towards them. "And take those back to Ram" she said as they left, indicating the pile of untidily discarded dresses on the floor which they divided up and left with. 


	11. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
A knock came on the door rousing Java from her post sleep slumber  
  
"Who is it?" she muttered without opening her eyes  
  
"Lieutenant Dan, it's about the wedding" came a voice  
  
"Go. Away." Java told him in no uncertain terms before rolling over to rest her head on Vic's firm chest and dose off again  
  
However ten minutes later another knock came on the door.  
  
"I don't care who it is - go away" Java growled at them before they could say anything, annoyed at being woken for the second time, she had never been a morning person. Groaning she rolled onto her back and tried to force open her sleep heavy eyes. Seeing Vic was still asleep she kicked him  
  
"If I have to be awake at this god forsaken hour you do too" she muttered. In reply he growled and rolled away from her onto his side. She kicked him again, harder. The only response she got was one hand, lifted, flapped a few times then dropped. She kicked him for the third time.  
  
"Ok, ok" he mumbled rolling onto his back in defeat and squinting at the light as Java had a minute before "Nice to see you're your usual kind self this morning" he commented  
  
"Shut up" she muttered and hit him gently with one hand while reaching blindly for her clock with her other to read the time. 8.04. Groaning again she sat up the sheets falling off her and pulling off Vic as she did so.  
  
Vic pulled the sheets back over himself huffily.  
  
"Go nick sheets from Ram" he told her. She rolled her eyes at him  
  
"You're always so negative on mornings" she said teasingly  
  
"Coz you're so perfect yourself," he grumbled back  
  
Suddenly a third knock came on the door  
  
"No" she shouted at whoever it was  
  
"But..."  
  
"Go away" she yelled. She flopped back onto the bed "Three people in fifteen minutes and it's only eight in the morning" she muttered in discontent  
  
"Welcome to the wonderful world of weddings" Vic said sarcastically next to her  
  
"Don't use alliteration this early" Java told him with a groan "This is just gonna get worse" she stated with fustration  
  
"Yep" said Vic sounding slightly too happy for Java's liking at her problem. He inclined his head to watch her as she stumbled out of the bed and tried to rescue her clothes from where they had been discarded the night before  
  
"Right, were getting out of here to celebrate my last day of freedom" she instructed him as she tugged on her trousers  
  
"We?" echoed Vic from her bed  
  
"Yeah, I need entertaining" she told him  
  
"Can't," he told her a hint of amusement entering his voice as he propped himself up on his elbows to watch her  
  
"You can," she told him with certainty as she fussed with her braids in front of her mirror. He shock his head a grin creeping across his face  
  
"Ram's got a massive list of things for me to do for your wedding" he said  
  
"Play hooky" she told him in a matter of fact manner as she applied mascara  
  
"Can't, far too much to do," he told her.  
  
She paused, looking at him in the mirror then turned and walked to the end of the bed, straddling his legs underneath the covers she crawled up him, stopping to sit just below his crotch. Unfortunately for her he was one of the only men her wiles and pleading face didn't work on.  
  
"But I need to celebrate my last day of freedom" she told him, pouting slightly  
  
"No can do," he said grinning at her, enjoying turning her down though he was sure he would have enjoyed the day out. "Wasn't that what we were celebrating last night too?" he asked  
  
"Noooo, that was my last [I]night[/I] of freedom, this is my last [I]day[/I] of freedom" Java told him and then with a wink she said "Ya know, we have all day to rerun last night" Smiling seductively at him she ran a finger up the toned muscles of his bare chest and bent down to kiss him sucking gently on his bottom lip in a way she knew he loved. He groaned dropping his head backwards whishing he could go along with her knowing he would have great time if he did.  
  
"I'd love to Java but I can't" he told her pushing her off him and reaching for his clothes  
  
"Fine" sighed Java in resignation  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An hour later Java was sat in a Techno vehicle she had 'borrowed' for the day heading out into the woodland. Usually she hated nature on principle but today she was gonna have to lump it if she wanted to escape the Technos.  
  
Pulling out a CD she had found of her favorite previrus band she turned the sound system on loud so that the heavy guitars and lyrics boomed out across the woods showing nature what she thought of it.  
  
[I]Why you gotta sit in my easy chair What makes you think that I would care? When I say to you - What are you gonna do?[/I]  
  
She smiled relaxing slightly. That was an improvement, nature on her terms.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She returned to the base about 11 that evening, she had managed to waste away the day in the woods training, working on her laptop and sleeping, she was utterly sick of nature but glad she had escaped the mess of the day before the wedding.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The day of the wedding dawned beautifully with a glorious sunrise, as it should on such occasions. Unfortunately the bride's morning was not nearly as perfect.  
  
First she was woken by some dweeby little Techno sent to help her with her make up and hair. Halfway through that torture her bridesmaids arrived. She was glad when the hours before the wedding were over; if she had to put up with any of the four girls in a confined space for much longer she was gonna hit one of them. Hard.  
  
The wedding itself was perfect too, Ram had found a picturesque clearing and set up a delicate arch in it, the Technos sat on benches in the clearing. Ram and his best man, some dweeb Java didn't know, were dressed in suits and the bride and bridesmaids were stunningly dressed. Unfortunalty this beauty washed over the bride who was not too bothered about the entire thing and zoned out for most of the nuptials, though she made sure she said  
  
"I do" and her vows in the right place. Watching Vic, who was conducting the ceremony, out of the corner of her eye she saw an amused smile twitch on his face as she repeated after him her vow to be faithful to Ram, and Ram only.  
  
The ceremony was brief and, for Java, the after party was too as it she had only been at the party for half an hour before Ram dragged her off to consummate their marriage. For the rest of the Technos the party continued into the night, and the holiday extended for several days. 


	12. Chaper13

Chapter 13  
  
Java walked down the corridor allowing herself a small smile of triumph. She was finally getting what she wanted, what she deserved, power, complete power. Vic and Her were going to rule over the Techno's and no one could to stop them. Their plan was simple, Vic was to 'dispose' of Ram using the zapper Java had left in her and Ram's room while Java rallied the tribe telling them how Ram had mistreated her and justifying Ram's death. Simple and fool proof. Vic had proposed the plan to her on one of their few illicit meetings in the month since her wedding.  
  
That was why she was walking down the corridor so occupied in her malicious thoughts she did not hear the footsteps behind her. Nor did she have any prior warning when suddenly everything went black. For once Java was caught unawares, and it was the worst possible time for it too happen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Java blinked slightly as she came round. She had a headache and she couldn't bring anything in front of her into focus. She closed her eyes again and then opened them more slowly. This time things blurred into view. The first thing that became apparent to her was that she was lying on the floor in a small room; the second was that she was not alone. She groaned when she saw the two girls standing over her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she spat at them and then added as an afterthought "And where is here?"  
  
"Hello Java" Opal and Kiki said sweetly, "It's nice to see you again"  
  
Java glared at Opal as she pushed herself upright  
  
"Don't fcck with me Opal" she snapped "Where am I and why are [I]you[/I] here?"  
  
"Where you are is of no consequence, and we are here because we brought you here" Kiki told her in a superior manner  
  
"Well what do you want then?" Java snapped at them  
  
"From you? Nothing" Opal told her loftily, "It's time for us to take back what is rightfully ours"  
  
"What?" said Java unable to fathom her cryptic answer  
  
"You'll see" Kiki told her "You're gonna have a lot of time to think about it" Smiling nastily she stepped backwards away from Java with Opal and closed the door trapping Java in the small room. Java scrambled to her feet ignoring the dizziness her quick ascent brought.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" she screamed at them through the door. She kicked the door with all the strength she could muster, it didn't budge. "Kiki, Opal" she screamed in challenge "Get back here and fight me like women." No answer came.  
  
She sank back against the door slowly sliding down it until she was sat on the floor again. For the first time she took the time to really look at the room she was trapped in. Trapped. She felt her throat constrict with fear. She was trapped, helpless, lost in her worst nightmare.  
  
Clenching her hands and digging her nails into the palms of her hands she tried to control her breathing telling herself she would be ok, she could get out of anything Kiki and Opal set up for her. It didn't work too well, the walls were still drawing in on her and she could feel the fear in her rising, she bit her lip and beat her fists against the floor in an effort to control herself. Closing her eyes she told herself she had to get it together and get out of there. The faster she pulled herself together the faster she would be out of there.  
  
When she opened her eyes again Java felt slightly more in control though her breathing was still shallow and her face drawn with fear.  
  
She let her eyes scan the room trying not to look at the walls and how small, how restricting, they were. By the looks of it the room used to be some kind of caretaker's closet. There was only one exit, the one she was leaning on. Moving forward she began sorting through the things in the room with a wild abandon, there had to be something to help her in there, there had to be.  
  
Eventually, just as she was beginning to think she was not going to get out, she was going to be trapped forever, she pulled out a crowbar from the assorted junk. Turning quickly she began a frenzied attack on the hinges of the door, chips of the wood flew past her as she fought her panic desperately. As the first hinge flew off she saw the end in sight, she was getting out of there. Soon, but not soon enough for her, the second hinge flew off and she was able to push the door outwards.  
  
She fell out of the doorway gasping for breath, for fresh free air. She leaned against the wall opposite the door allowing herself to calmdown. But she could not rest, after a minute she set off towards the command center to find Kiki and Opal and start a rebellion.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As she approached the command center she heard shouts, loud shouts. She had a bad feeling about what was going on, nothing should have happened yet, it should just e a normal afternoon.  
  
When she peered cautiously around the door she was greeted with a sight that was beyond her worst dreams of the situation. Kiki and Opal were stood at the end of the room, the target of the crowd's aggression.  
  
".Ram and Java were right to throw you out.get lost, we like our leaders.bi!ches."  
  
Kiki and Opal were cowering away from the crowd trying to pacify them  
  
"But - but, you saw what they did to us, can't you see how quickly they could turn on you."  
  
In several seconds Java had assessed the situation and worked out what was going on. She remembered Vic telling her there were other people involved in the rebellion but he had refused to tell her who. Somehow Kiki and Opal must have found out what she was meant to be doing and decided to do it themselves and therefore get their power back. But it had obviously gone horribly wrong and now she was certain the rebellion was doomed. She had to find Vic and tell him, and there was only one place Vic would be, she only hoped it wasn't too late.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When she arrived outside Ram's room she was out of breath after running through the base madly, hoping against hope she could get to Vic before he did anything drastic that would doom them both. Using the code they had decided previously she knocked at the door. After a minute or so the door was opened cautiously and Vic poked his head out. Java didn't give him a chance to ask questions or greet her as she pushed past him into the room closing the door behind her quickly.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Vic mystified as to why Java didn't have half the base behind her  
  
"It's gone wrong, the.." Catching sight of what was lying by the bed she whispered desperately. "No!" It was too late.  
  
"What? What's gone wrong?" Vic asked bruteskly  
  
Java was unable to stop staring at Ram's corpse, her stomach was writhing and twisting in a way that was sending feelings of dread up her spine. That was it, it was over; her and Vic were dead "Opal and Kiki" Java told him in a distracted voice "They tried to do what I was meant to do, I couldn't stop them, the tribe rose up in Rams defense."  
  
"So that's it," he said calmly after a minute "It's over ."  
  
"Yeah" echoed Java realizing it truly was over, they had gambled and lost  
  
Turning she caught Vic's eye, they fell into one last desperate kiss, full of passion and despair. Java was the first to pull away trailing one hand down Vic's face in a last gesture of affection  
  
"That's it" Vic said heavily "I killed R." The last part of his sentence trailed off as they both froze as the door to Ram's room slammed open and a crowd of Techno's poured in, the first line freezing at the sight in front of them before they were pushed forward by those behind them. Shock reigned for a minute as everyone froze and tried to guess what was coming next. Finally someone at the front of the crowd broke the silence  
  
"He did it, he killed Ram, we heard him confess" The shout was like a signal; the crowd surged forward into the room pushing Java and Vic apart. As Java watched in horror, her mind still racing to comprehend the sequence of events that had brought her here in such a small time. She was pushed against the wall by the surging crowd as Vic was manhandled out of the room and into a prison cell to judge by the shouts, she could not understand why no one was taking her away with him.  
  
"Well done Java" a female Techno told her startling her slightly as she felt the girls hand on her arm.  
  
"Wha?" said Java focusing on the girl, seemingly the only still figure in the writhing crowd  
  
"You had Ram's murderer trapped and confessing, you're a heroine" the girl told her as if she was stupid for not realizing that. Suddenly Java made the connections with what the crowd had seen; her hand by Vic's face, the one with her zapper on, and Vic's 'confession' just as the crowd burst into the room. They thought she had captured Vic, not been in cahoots with him.  
  
Suddenly a surprised voice echoed over the crowd  
  
"He's not dead!"  
  
The crowd erupted into voice as Ram's still body was taken out of the room. Java struggled to comprehend yet another twist in the tale; somehow Ram had survived. 


	13. Chapter14

Chapter 14  
  
Java rolled out of that night's lover's arms and groaned. Blinking she realized the bright light falling on her must be the moon. Sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed she looked back to the boy that still lay asleep on her bed,  
  
This one had dark short-cropped hair and was at least a year her junior. The one the night before had been blonde, and the one before that. Java couldn't remember, it was god knows what time in the morning she told herself, she couldn't be expected to think properly.  
  
Picking up her bedside clock she pressed the light creating a strange alien illumination in the vivid light and dark caused by the moons light in the room 2.18 am.  
  
Sighing she slid off the bed and reached blindly into her wardrobe search8ing for something to wrap around herself. Her hand quickly connected with a jacket that she pulled out and wrapped around herself. The first thing she noticed was the size of the Jacket, it was dripping off her but keeping her nicely warm, the second thing she noticed was the delicate taste of aftershave rising from the jacket.  
  
[I] "I'm cold," she stated sitting up  
  
"Wrap yourself in the covers" Vic instructed her drowsily  
  
"No. I really am cold" java told him. With a groan Vic rolled away from her and groped blindly at the side of her bed. After a minute he tossed a jacket at her. Wrapping herself in the huge thing she curled up next to Vic  
  
"I'm warm now," she told him contentedly"  
  
"Oh good" he muttered [/I]  
  
The bittersweet nostalgia brought a lump to Java's throat. How long had it been? Four? Five days? She thought it was five, five days since she had spoken to Vic alone. She had talked to him with others present in his cell but that wasn't the same. She just hadn't had time to seek him on his own, with both Ram and Vic otherwise disposed the weight of leadership with had formally rested on three shoulders had landed on her. The days had sped by in a blur of people and papers with no chance to rest and organize her thoughts. At night there were her lovers, a different one each night to help her combat the loneliness, before there had always been someone, Sara, Siva, Vic, someone she could talk to but now she was awash in a sea of nameless faces all demanding things from her.  
  
She moved away from the cupboard to lean on the window and watch the silent still black and white landscape. She felt like the only person alive as she stared across the silence.  
  
The thing she hated most about the whole mess was the waiting. The medics came to talk to her everyday but it was always a version of the same song  
  
"He's alive, just"  
  
No one could work out exactly what had happened in Ram's room that fateful day, though Java could make a more informed guess than most, Ram was dying Vic not talking.  
  
All they could work out was Ram had been hit in the lower back by one of the older discarded versions of the zappers that Java had had in one of her desk drawers. Why Vic hadn't used the zapper she had provided Java didn't know but she suspected Vic had had good reason. That was the reason Ram was still alive.  
  
The older zapper Ram had been hit with had been deemed a failure because at killed all the rats it was tested on outright. Post mortem examinations had shown the rats nervous and immune systems had been destroyed. According to medics the effect on Ram had been similar, the nerves on his lower back had been killed and his immune system desecrated.  
  
In truth Java didn't know whether she wanted Ram to live or die. If he died Vic's death was assured and the leadership pf the Technos would fall upon her. She didn't want that kind of Power, she wanted to be able to sit back and enjoy being leader, not have to work all the time.  
  
And if Ram survived she would be left with a husband, paralyzed form the waist down without an immune system and possible brain damage as no one knew what effect the trauma might have on his brain. And with Ram alive Vic's chances still look dodgy, not to mention her own, who knew what had been said, what Vic had told Ram.  
  
Java sighed closing the curtains to encase the room in complete darkness. Whether Ram survived or not was no longer in her hands. Dropping the jacket onto the floor she climbed back into her bed close to her lover and tried to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After a disturbed nights sleep Java was informed that there had been 'change' in Rams condition. Whether it was good or bad the nervous medic refused to saw and Java suspected they didn't actually know  
  
That was why she ended up in the gym beating the he|| out of a punch bag with her subordinates under the orders  
  
"Unless the sky falls or something happens with Ram disturb me at your peril"  
  
She mused that the threat seemed to be working as she gave the punch bag a solid roundhouse kick. As the bag swung away from her she heard the door behind her open.  
  
"This had better be good" she called out warningly still concentrating on the punch bag,  
  
The voice that called back made her skin crawl, somehow familiar and alien at the same time.  
  
"It is my Javey"  
  
She spun at the sound of the creepy voice calling her 'my Javey'. Facing her was Ram. Not the Ram that she had married, a pushover and womanizer, this was a different Ram. Hair spiked up into red horns on either side of his head with green flames flickering around his eyes. But the biggest change was the monstrosity he was sat in. She thought it was a wheelchair but it could have just as easily been a small tank or car.  
  
"Surprised to see me?" he asked gliding forward in the metal monster with a strange whirring sound.  
  
Java couldn't answer the partial stranger, what was she supposed to say, what had happened to the man she had married?  
  
As Ram came to a stop in front of her she reached out to touch him and make sure he was real but he jerked away from her touch lip curling up in disgust.  
  
"Germs" he spat rubbing his glove-covered hands together in a motion of disgust  
  
"The doctors said you had 'changed' not recovered," Java said finally finding her voice again  
  
"Does this look 'recovered' to you?" Ram spat at her, then, his face softening he told her in a more gentle tone "Of course you've been worried" he reached up to touch her cheek, Java resisted the urge to flinch away from her 'husband' "I'm sorry the doctors didn't tell you the truth but I need to see where your loyalties lie" his face took on a twisted look that asked her for forgiveness  
  
"Did I pass?" Java asked calmly despite the fact her heart was pounding. This was it, when she found out exactly how much Vic had said  
  
"Of course he said brightly. Then his face darkened slightly There was one thing though" He pressed a button on his chair. As Java watched the door Ram had entered through opened and five Technos trailed through. Java knew her shock showed on her face as she recognized them.  
  
"Now. I [I]am[/I] prepared to excuse you Java. You must have been upset about my.condition" his voice was condescending and not at all understanding "However, your lovers must be punished for adultery against their leader." Ram told her raising his wrist, as Java processed his words and realized what he was about to do she screamed out, but it was too late. Rams wrist flicked and the boy fell to the floor, dead.  
  
Java stared at the corpse in horror as her other lovers backed away from it shooting pleading glances at her and fearful one's at Ram.  
  
"Next?" Ram asked her raising his wrist again, his face straight but an edge of glee lurking in his eyes. Java shook her head mutely in a plea for justice. "What can we do with them then?" Ram asked relaxing back into his chair and touching his fingertips together in a gesture of exaggerated thought. "I know!" he said confidently "We'll put the traitors with the other traitors" he let pout a cackle which made shivers run up and down Java's spine.  
  
"I should get changed" Java said searching for a reason to leave the madman's presence, she didn't know who Ram was anymore he had changed so much and she didn't like it, she was no longer in control of he relationship.  
  
"Certainly, we wouldn't want you getting ill with [I]germs[/I]" Ram told her waving his hand dismissively as she left. 


End file.
